Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Life is a beautiful teacher. It keeps on teaching us many things by placing us in many odd and unique situations. On Teachers' Day I learnt a big lesson - about person, about life, about attitude and about how important understanding is in-between two people. I am sharing it in the following blog. :)

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5th September, 2013.
Two big events – Teacher’s Day and Pola
- an Indian festival in which bullocks and oxen are worshiped for their
rigorous ploughing in farms. Next day follows a ritual where children have to
carry a pair of clay bullocks and worship them known as tanha-pola. Many of us shall have very nice
memoriesfor this day. Being the only day where we earn more money to purchase
chocolates for next few weeks (obviously hiding from Mon-Dad). Visiting each
home and borrowing money. With the cutest face possible. Meticulously checking the wallet and expected money
to be lent to us. And it was the same day!

I was sitting in my room. Working
on my seminar presentation and report. Someone slammed door. I was distracted, the pen fell off my hand. Hold my chair back and opened the door in distress. All I saw was a
cute girl standing with a clay bullock in her hand. And then followed her other
three girls; running and huffing came upstairs in my room.

She – (All four girls giggling) Aree Dada, pujamhanjetashipujanahi.
Paisedyawelagtat. Mag karal kaa puja? : Pujameans not like actual worshipping. You are just required to give us some money.
Will you worship then?

I was aware of what ‘Puja’ meant here. But I am kind of
person who has tight hand over money; if the next person is not worthy of it.
And these girls were surely weren’t. But still I saw a glimpse of hope in theireyes. Cute eyes they were. Children always do! That shine made me rethink and I
checked my wallet. I substitute myself in their position. But awfully I was lacking the change as Puja.

Me – Kiti paisedyawelagtil?? : How
much expected money??

She – 5 rupayediletarichaltilpratyekila. : Rs 5 for each will work.

Me – (taken aback) 5 rupaye???? : Rupee 5?????

Astonished. Watching me in shock
another girl handled the situation pinching girl's hard standing next to her – Nai dadaewdhenako. 1-2 rupayadilatarichalel. Jashitumchiiccha : Not
this much. 1 or 2 rupees to each is also sufficient. As per your will.

Pointing towards other three girls
one of them spoke – Ho dada! Rahude.
Nakodeu. Hyasaglyabhandatil. : Very
true. These girls might fight over that Rs 10 note. Don’t give us money.

Me – Mazhya kade chocolates pan naittumhaladyayala. : I even don’t have chocolates to give you.
I murmured. She had a nice pair of ears and she iterated – Rahu dedada. Amhi jato. : Thank
you! But no need of it. We shall leave now.

Eldest girl; who pinched another
girl handed me change of Rs 10 against Rs 10 note given by me to her. She was like
that person who is most excited to come on stage when magician asks for a volunteer to perform a magical act. Excited and mysterious!! Apparently all of them smiled, Rs 10 being a bigamount for them. They had came visiting many houses before arriving here. But
here they were confronting a different person. But they were unaware of what my
neurons were calculating. And at what juncture they shall stop!

They handed me change as fourcoins of Rs 2 and two coins of Re 1. Then I asked all four of them to divide
this amount equally among them. And as they answer it, they will be heir of
money.

Suddenly too many question marks
appearedon their head. And skin accumulated over there forehead as theireyebrows propelled up. But one girl was sharp enough and had guts to answer this
TOUGH question. And uttered abruptly – 3-3 Rs each. I tried to control mylaughter. But then I showed her how it can’t be divided into 3 Rs each. They
were back on thinking about it. The way they were counting made me remember my
First Year Engineering days when after every paper I was calculating marks. To
make sure I am scoring marks enough to get passed.

A girl – Aathane! Aathane! : 50 ps –
50 ps.

Then again I explained her how
she is wrong! It was their rampart point. Breaking down in disgrace one girl said – Jaude Dada! : Leave it!

I tried insisting them to solve
the puzzle. But she was firm over her decision. With many efforts I at lastconvinced them to wait for answer. I was playing role of Tom Riddle a.k.a Lord
Voldemort from movie Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets rearranging ‘TOM
MARVELO RIDDLE!’ anagram to ‘I AM LORD VOLDEMORT’.

I told them how Rs 10 has been
divided into Rs 2.50 each. They understood it and smiled. I handed all Rs 20 to
them and wish them best luck bidding adieu. Turning their back they went
downstairs. I turned out to be their teacher on Teacher’s Day. I went back
working on my seminar report.

Someone again knocked door. The
same girls were standing holding the Rs 10 note. With an I-am-helpless look. I
asked her reason for coming back, in reply she said – Ti tai naimhantaahe. Ti mhanat ahe ki wapas de paise. : She is saying no to this. And asked me
to return it back to you! A cute smile was still prevailing there. May be she was not
that fold of money.

I thought they were playing with
me now. But very soon realized that they were serious. I forced them to go home
and divested myself of holding the note and those Rs 10 change as well. Intimidatory
I said her that I will tell this to their parents that they are lending off
money. But no change! She was resilient to accept.

Sticking to her stance she said – Tila sang dada.Ti ragawatahe. Deun ye mhane waapas. : Tell her then. She is scolding us. And
insisting me to return it to you.

With all hard work I managed to return
money back to her. But she kept the money on doorsteps and eloped. I felt bad
for everything that was happening. With all might I tried to convince them that
whatever I did was to show them how important education is and can be. I remember exact words from her; the eldest
girl who was scolding other to return money – Dada amhalaraagnaiaala! : We
are not in anxiety.

The way she said it was bitconvincing. It was polite. Serene. Sober. But she didn’t utter a single word
after that. Tilted her head straight. And disappeared, along with other three!

I kept looking at that money
placed on ground. Dust was gathering around it. I picked them up and kept in a
box to avoid them getting browner. I was disheartened. Felt ashamed! By the
time I was banging door I heard someone shouting - Dada! Dada! I went outside to acknowledge it and was astonished toseesame girls moving their hand back and forth with radiant giggle on face.
But not all of them were happy. Only three were and the fourth one was still a Mysterious
Girl for me.

Over the balcony I kept watching
them until they past the horizon. Leaving me with many questions – What did I
did wrong? Three of them understood my intentions, whereas one didn’t. Even she
waseldest among them. Was I bit too harsh? Or was I supposed to give money
without any quiz?

But then I thought of something
else. We have numerous people in our life. Many very close to us. Some do
understand us, some don’t. How hard we try. Limitless efforts we induce to make
them understand that what we did was right. Not in current span. But in future
context! But instead of feeling bad we can be happy that out of four different
people we know that other three understands us.

But sometimes we want that one
person to understand us more than anyone else. Teacher Day left me with a great
lesson to learn from.

Happiness can be
found, in the darkest of time!

If one only remembers,
to turn on the light!

-Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and Prisoner of
Azkaban

Thank you life!! Thank you Four Girls!!

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